Way to manufacture inserts for steam cooled hot gas path components

ABSTRACT

A method for forming inserts for steam cooled hot gas path components involves casting the inserts and laser drilling the cast inserts with the ceramic casting core still in place. Thereafter, the ceramic core is removed through the use of a leachant. By laser drilling the holes with the ceramic core still in place, the ceramic core acts as a backer during the laser drilling which results in more precise drilling of the inserts and reduced processing time.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The invention relates to a new way to manufacture inserts for steam cooled hot gas path components.

[0002] Inserts are required in air and steam cooled nozzles to provide impingement cooling to airfoil walls and ribs. The prior art methods of production of inserts use sheet metal forming operations, including welding and brazing, and electro discharge machining of the holes. The problem with the prior art methods is that the large complicated inserts combined with strict dimensional tolerances result in 3D structures that have a very low yield relative to design specifications.

[0003] The inventive process casts the inserts to tight tolerance using any ceramic core casting process such as, for example, pressure casting, centrifugal casting, squeeze casting or vacuum casting (also known as counter gravity casting). Counter gravity casting as employed by Hitchiner Manufacturing Co., Inc. of Milford, N.H. uses metal dies with a vacuum pour to help fill thin sections of the casting and eliminate porosity. After casting has been completed, the core material is then used as a backer during subsequent drilling operations. Finally, the core is removed by acid leaching and the cast parts are machined, if necessary, to finish specifications.

[0004] With the inventive manufacturing method certain commercial and performance needs are met. For example, the inventive method facilitates the production of complicated 3D insert geometries in a Ni-base superalloy with thin walls and tight tolerances. The inventive method also provides for accurate and precise drilling of the cast inserts with improved processing times and fixtures.

[0005] The inventive method also solves the problems in the prior art by using the ceramic core in the insert casting process to act as a backer for laser drilling. The laser holes then facilitate the use of leachant to quickly remove the core, speeding the manufacturing process.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006]FIG. 1 show a cast insert prior to laser drilling of the insert holes;

[0007]FIG. 2 shows the case insert of FIG. 1 after laser drilling of the insert holes but with the ceramic core still in place; and

[0008]FIG. 3 shows the cast and drilled insert immersed in an acid bath for removal of the ceramic core.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The inventive method uses, for example, Hitchiner's thin wall casting process to produce the insert geometry from a wax model. The Hitchiner process substitutes counter gravity casting for more conventional casting by, for example, gravity pouring.

[0010] In the basic investment casting process, wax replicas of the desired castings are produced by injection molding. Depending on the size of the castings, multiple wax replicas may be attached to a central waxed stick, termed a sprue, to thereby form a casting assembly. Thereafter, a ceramic shell is formed around the casting or the casting assembly made up of the multiple wax replicas of the desired castings. Next, the ceramic is dried and the wax is melted out creating a negative impression of the casting assembly within the ceramic shell.

[0011] If using the basic casting process, the casting shell is filled with molten metal by gravity pouring. Conversely, in the Hitchiner counter gravity process the ceramic casting shell is placed within a vacuum and dipped into a hot metal melt which is then siphoned up around and into the ceramic casting assembly. After the metal is allowed to solidify on the ceramic casting the vacuum is released and residual metal flows back in to the melt. FIG. 1 schematically shows a cast insert 10 with ceramic core 12 shown in place by dotted lines. Also shown is laser drilling apparatus 14 prior to the drilling process.

[0012] Preferably, the cast inserts are made from IN625 (Ni-base superalloy). After the insert are cast into the desired geometry, the ceramic core is not immediately leached out. Instead the casting is put in a fixture for laser drilling holes with the ceramic core still in place. The casting tolerances are such that a fixture can handle a production run without a lot of rework.

[0013] The insert is then laser drilled with the ceramic core as a backer. The backer stops backwall strikes and will act as a breakthrough detector. FIG. 2 schematically shows insert 10 after holes 16 have been drilled by laser drilling apparatus 14.

[0014] After the large number of holes (˜300 holes/insert) are drilled with laser precision, the ceramic core is leached out with suitable caustics. FIG. 3 schematically shows ceramic 12 being removed by immersing cast insert 10 in acid bath 18.

[0015] Another advantage of the inventive method is the reduction in the number of heat treatments that the part goes through relative to current state of the art processing. Reducing heat treatments reduces the amount of distortion caused by residual stresses and results in higher quality. The invention will produce inserts and baffles for hot gas path hardware at a greater level of performance and yield.

[0016] While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of forming inserts for steam cooled hot gas path components in a turbine, said method comprising: casting the geometrical configuration of the insert; and laser drilling impingement holes in the cast insert without removing a ceramic casting core of the cast insert.
 2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ceramic casting core is removed by leachant.
 3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said casting comprises pressure casting.
 4. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said casting comprises centrifugal casting.
 5. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said casting comprises squeeze casting.
 6. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said casting comprises counter gravity casting.
 7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inserts are made of a Ni-base superalloy.
 8. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the inserts are made of a Ni-base superalloy.
 9. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the inserts are made of a Ni-base superalloy.
 10. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the inserts are made of a Ni-base superalloy.
 11. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the inserts are made of a Ni-base superalloy.
 12. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the inserts are made of a Ni-base superalloy. 